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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

My two year old still isn't talking

15 replies

Maidment · 18/02/2009 13:56

I am getting worried about my two year old who still isn't talking. He is saying the odd word like mama, car etc but no where near what he should be saying....I had a premature baby (6 weeks early) when he was 18 months old and I am worried that coming to see me in hosptial has traumatised him.....(we thought he was about to start talking just before we had our second baby) has anyone else been in a similar situation. I have spoken to a health visitor and we have referred him to a speech therapist. What concerns me is that his nursery have said that he isn't even trying to talk.

OP posts:

TotalChaos · 18/02/2009 14:09

try not to panic (hard I know at this stage), a fair number of kids are late talkers, and it sorts itself out with mimimum intervention (particularly if a kid understands well, points to what they want/items of interest etc).

in the meantime some good books-
You Make the Difference by Ayola Manolson
Baby Talk by Sally Ward
The Parent's Guide to speech and language problems by Debbie Feit

and websites:-
www.ican.org.uk
www.teachmetotalk.com
www.hanen.org

Also - see if your local surestart centre does a course to help parents help their kids to communicate.

And - if your 2 year old imitates well, could be worth trying a bit of baby signing as well along with the speech.

AnnVan · 18/02/2009 14:45

No personal experience, but I knew a girl (same age as me) who apparently didn't talk till she was 3. They did speech therapy and all sorts. But when she finally did speak, it was because she'd seen her mum looking for her dad, and literally walked up and said 'daddy, mummy wants you'. The first words she ever spoke.

Tamarto · 18/02/2009 14:46

Both my boys said very little before 2 and a half and in both their cases their speech seemed to come on in leaps and bounds when they went to playgroup.

Flightattendant27 · 18/02/2009 14:47

Is his hearing Ok?

Tamarto · 18/02/2009 14:47

Read your post too quick, i still wouldn't worry too much. When he is at nursery how old are the children he is mixing with?

FriarKewcumber · 18/02/2009 14:49

my DS was at a simialr stage to you at two and its well worth getting a SALT session. I didn't get one but instead got a lot of the exercises they recommend from a friend and practiced them on his quite hard. At 3.3 he is now only very slightly behind his peers and his speach accelerated after about 2.8yrs.

kettlechip · 18/02/2009 14:50

Maidment, how does he communicate his needs? Does he point, drag you to things, or gesture in other ways? Does he seem to understand most of what you say?

You are doing the right thing in having him referred. ds1 has come on in strides since haivng speech therapy.

jeanjeannie · 18/02/2009 14:51

Similar boat as you - and I've contacted our local Surestart who do a Speech and Language playgroup so I'm off to that on Monday. Seemed to be a quick and easy way of getting direct contact with a SALT....so maybe you could check in your local area?

I'm not worrying too much ...yet, it's just I thought I'd get in early in case it turned out to be anything more complex than a minor delay.

snooks · 18/02/2009 14:53

thought about glue ear at all? only thinking this because ds2 was diagnosed at 2.3 (he wasn't talking or even babbling and got very frustrated). his hearing was poor but bizarrely we never noticed because he heard everything 'muffled' so usually got the gist of what was going on.

your gp can check his ears for glue ear.

having said all that, 2 years is in the realms of normality (whatever that is) for not talking much.

Divineintervention · 18/02/2009 14:58

DS1 talked at around two, his first word was at about 16 months and was 'barara' for his brother (baby Roman) he then said little 'on target' until he was 2.10.... at 2 we saw a speech therapist and she said they look for around 20 words at two. By his third birthday, preceded by a long holiday with my parents and holiday with the whole family and starting a preschool he was as good, if not better, than all of his peers. People always commented how article he was.
18 months really is very young to be worrying. Try not to connect speech with intellect as it's usually brain mapping and/or wanting to talk that makes the difference.

Divineintervention · 18/02/2009 14:58

Erase the 18 months bit, I just reread!!

Original poster

Maidment · 18/02/2009 17:12

Thanks for all these. Reassuring. I am going to look on the internet for SALT courses in my area. DS is getting very frustrated - he understands every single word we say and goes to get things if I ask him to - he is also babbling a lot. Our GP checked his ears as we were also told it could be a hearing problem but his ears seem fine.

OP posts:

RandomStranger · 18/02/2009 17:20

Ask for a formal hearing test, the doctor by checking his ears cannot determine anything from looking

good luck

TotalChaos · 18/02/2009 17:23

yes, it's quite routine for a child who has been referred to SALT to also have their hearing checked by an audiologist.

Divineintervention · 18/02/2009 18:18

there's always baby sign to ease his communication and animal noises are a great way to start language.

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